November newsletter

November 2016 Dear Supporter, We have, over the past couple of months, congratulated both Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing Councils for refusing to sign up to the latest attack on our local health provision – the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for North West London. As Stephen Cowan, leader of H&F, said: ‘At the heart of the NWL STP is an acceptance that Charing Cross Hospital will be demolished with significantly downgraded facilities, and the capital receipts from the sale of much of the hospitals’ land is intrinsic to the delivery of the STP. [We are] strongly opposed to this, and therefore to the NWL STP.’ And from Ealing Council: ‘Ealing Council cannot sign up to a plan that will signal the closure of A&Es at Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals and result in them being downgraded to local hospitals.’ It is to the credit of H&F that it is calling a PUBLIC MEETING on Tues. 29th November to explain why the STP is not good for health provision for local people.

SOH IS FULLY SUPPORTING THIS MEETING – AND WE WILL HAVE SPEAKERS ON THE PLATFORM. PLEASE JOIN US WHEREVER YOU LIVE – THIS CONCERNS THE HEALTH OF ALL PEOPLE IN NW LONDON AND NEIGHBOURING AREAS. Here’s the letter being sent to all H&F residents by Cllr Steve Cowan: A&Es UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE – BUT WE DON’T OVERUSE THEM!!! H&F and Ealing Councils commissioned a follow-up to the Mansfield Report and the evidence shows clearly that NW London residents are not misusing A&Es but instead have a high usage of Urgent Care Centres. Yet our A&Es continue to be under extreme pressure, particularly for genuine emergency (Type 1) cases. To even contemplate closing first Ealing and then Charing Cross is irresponsible! Local residents often speak to us about their experiences of using local NHS facilities. Here is one account of the pressures under which NHS staff in A&Es are working. This has been anonymised and slightly edited to protect patients and staff. "Got to A&E soon after 1pm. I was checked in by a nice senior nurse who sent me to another waiting area. About 3 pm had blood taken then another long wait in yet a different waiting area. Told that a surgeon would come and see me in a few minutes. A[fter] 4pm examined by a kindly surgeon. She said to wait in yet another waiting room to be seen by a senior colleague. At 6, I was sent to a GP area to wait for ages. Then told that the department was now closed and to go back to the front waiting area - a corridor packed with standing room only. At 7 the place started filling up. Then ambulance men and police arrived and right next to me took statements from an attacked female in tears. At this point I went to the main desk and asked to speak to a doctor. He checked his computer and said you have to wait to see a surgeon. At 8 we asked the doctor when I would see this surgeon. Don't worry he said they have problems on the ward but he would continue to bleep someone to see me. At 9 I suggested I leave because of my caring role. He said I should wait because a bed had been ring fenced for me. Amid aggressive bad behaviour by other patients a surgeon found me. She gave me another thorough examination and decided I could go home and she would consult with her boss next day and arrange for an early date. The blood tap in my sore arm was removed and I escaped at 10.30. So I guess it is 'back to square one'. In those nine hours I was able to see the medical staff coping professionally with great courtesy with far too many patients. I also observed these same medics becoming more and more stressed towards the end of their shift. At hand over time some even came over to me to see if I was still OK. I thought to myself that our Health Minister should spend a similar nine hours to see what it is like at the 'coal face'. Sorry to go on, I thought you might be interested as there are plans to convert Charing Cross Hospital into luxury apartments?!" DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Sat 12th Nov.         STALL – Lyric Sq. 2-4pm Sat 19th Nov.        STALL – Fulham Broadway –                                 top of N. End Rd. 2-4pm Sat 26th Nov.        STALL – Shepherds Bush market –                                  Uxbridge Rd end. 2-4pm Tues 29th Nov.     H&F PUBLIC MEETING                                 Hammersmith Town Hall – 7pm Sat 3rd Dec.          NE Road Christmas Market 10am-4pm.                                 SOH have a stall – great to see people there! Thurs 8th Dec      CHRISTMAS STALL AT CHARING CROSS 12-2pm Wed 14th Dec      SOH Open Planning meeting                                 Town Hall, King St, 7.30-9.30pm Thurs 15th Dec    CHRISTMAS STALL AT HAMMERSMITH HOSPITAL 12-2pm We welcome everyone – or anyone! – to join us on these dates. Best wishes, Merril Chair SOH SOH supporters at the demonstration in support of the NHS Reinstatement Bill outside Parliament on Friday 4th November 2016 Copyright © 2016 Save Our Hospitals. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Save Our Hospitals, c/o 7 Kimbell Gardens, London SW6 6QG